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Opinions of Friday, 14 March 2014

Columnist: Daily Post

How Asiedu Nketia Trapped The Daily Guide In Their Own Trap

Falsely accused by the ‘Daily Guide’ on March 2 and 3, 2011 of putting up a house in Kumasi, NDC General-Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia had to dig deep into his reserves to nail his accusers in court.

Indeed, one has to be a genius to successfully exonerate himself from the kind of allegations, including the diversion of building materials from the Bui Dam site, that had been leveled against him. The NDC scribe, adopting tactics reserved for a genius, finally managed to outwit his accusers.

Behind the scenes investigations conducted by the ‘Daily Post’ indicates that the plot to smear the NDC General-Secretary was hatched at a filling station belonging to a senior member of the NPP in 2011.

The plot was full-proof, or so the conspirators thought. A building was identified in the Kumasi metropolis and assigned to the NDC General Secretary as the owner. Journalists were quickly called and given pictures of the house to publish, alleging that the NDC scribe owns it.

Soon, the story hit the front pages of the ‘Daily Guide’, a pro-NPP newspaper. It was couched in such a way as to alleged corruption on the path of their target.

To extricate himself from the building, Asiedu Nketia went to Kumasi to conduct a search to determine who owns the property being assigned to him. Curiously, he found that the title deeds to the building were missing at the relevant institutions. This meant the ownership could not be established. Being a high ranking member of the ruling party, anyone will naturally be forgiven if he or she begins to think that Asiedu Nketia used his position to remove from the records the fact that he is the owner of the building so no one can trace it to him.

It was a well set up plot. Many a person would have been in a fix as to how to extricate himself from the allegation. But not Johnson Asiedu Nketia, a.k.a General Mosquito!

Having realized and understood the plot against him, he went to see the then Mayor of Kumasi, Samuel Sarpong and told him since there was no record available to indicate the owner and since he was said to be the owner, he was accepting ownership and as owner, he wanted the building demolished.

A startled Samuel Sarpong pleaded with Asiedu Nketia for a couple of days to enable him search for the owner. The Mayor then caused graffiti to be used on the walls of the building asking whoever was the owner to produce permit or it will be demolished. Announcements were made over radio notifying the public about the intended demolition . Immediately, the puzzle was solved.

An Engineer, Eric Darko, came running to the mayor with the title deeds of the building and claiming ownership. The mayor told him since it is alleged that Asiedu Nketia owns it, the NDC scribe was going to pull it down. Mr. Eric Darko tried to get in touch with the NDC scribe but the later will not pick his call. A desperate Eric Darko quickly made his way to Accra and appeared in court with the title deeds claiming ownership.

A scrutiny of the document established that indeed, the building belonged to Mr. Eric Darko. ‘Daily Guide’s’ defence immediately went up in smoke, leaving the court with no option than to grant Asiedu Nketia the relief he sought in the suit against the paper. The judge, however, reduced the GH¢1million he sued for and granted him GH¢250,000 which he says he will use to put up a building and name “kwasia bi nti” meaning “Because of a fool”.

The conspirators who cooked this story up and fed the unsuspecting public with it must be scratching their heads wondering how they got beaten at their own game.